Richard Clark wrote:

A wire has an obvious radius (in cross section), and the charge is
distributed equally over its surface. However, if you hammer this
wire flat, the charge then seeks the edges (the smallest radius) and
abandons the flat area, starving it of conduction (resistance climbs).

Wow, what a waste of material. Looks like flat strips will be put
waaaaay on the back-burner.

The same phenomenon can be observed in variable capacitors that arc
further from their separated edges than from between their more
closely situated, meshed flat surfaces. Even with arcs between these

Good example - all the caps I've seen that arced had them mostly near
the edges. I always wondered why.

It is a mistake think surface area alone as the geometry of a circular
cross section is more important.

I gotta' agree now. Thanks for the insight.

73 WN6F